Visit to Uganda – October 2015

Visit to RAP-CD Primary School for Disabled Children, Kasese, Uganda, October 2015:

Report for the Trustees of the David Tilley Children’s Foundation.

Jane and I visited RAP-CD on October 21, 2015, and were warmly welcomed by the Director, Maali Wilson, and the staff and pupils of the school. The welcome included a song and drama presentation voicing thanks for the donations from the DTCF. There are currently 149 children at the school, almost all of whom are boarders. Among these, 86 are deaf (76 totally so), 18 are blind and 12 have cerebral palsy; there are also 23 with other physical disabilities and 3 with Down’s Syndrome. There are 12 teachers, all of whom sign for the deaf, and the school caters for all 7 years of a normal Ugandan primary school.

The donation of £1000 from the DTCF in October 2014 has been used as agreed to roof in an area between two existing buildings, providing a much needed dining and assembly hall which is also used as a chapel. It has a concrete floor and while the roof is supported on timber pillars, the sides have been walled in almost to roof level. There was an underspend of approximately £118 and this has been used to purchase a video player which has proved a useful resource for the school. We presented this year’s donation of £1200 to be used to build four rainwater harvesting tanks which should mean a considerable financial saving in the provision of water for the school.